Thursday, February 1, 2018

Rare Reads and Expensive Editions: Some of the World’s Priciest Publications

By Erin Sherry

Spring 2018 Intern

As a lifelong book lover, I’ve been known to
rack up quite the bookstore bill, and often find self-control difficult to
exercise when I’m lost in the stacks. Unique copies of my favorite books, such
as a holographic edition of Haruki Murakami’s A Wild Sheep Chase and a signed copy of the illustrated Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,
are among my most prized possessions. However, there are some limits to how much I’m willing to spend on books, and these
rare reads—cashing in as some of the most expensive titles in the world—definitely
make the cut!

The Tales of Beedle the Bard (“The Moonstone
Edition”), J.K. Rowling: $3.98 million

Arguably, you can’t put a price tag on the
magic of the Harry Potter series. However, two copies of this handwritten and illustrated
companion collection have sold for upwards of 4 million (muggle) dollars!

The Birds of America, John James
Audubon: $10 million

Only 120 copies of this hand-colored, life-sized book were
ever completed by the renowned artist, so its frequent moniker as “the most expensive
book in the world” comes as no surprise.

Codex Hammer, Leonardo da
Vinci: $30.8 million

Microsoft’s Bill Gates took this rare notebook (full of over 300
original notes and illustrations) off the market in 1994, though he has been
lending it to museums once a year ever since.

Though I think I’ll remain loyal to the
discount tables at my favorite bookshops until I strike the lottery, it sure is
fun to dream!

No comments:

Post a Comment

About Us

Founded in 2003, Publishing Solutions Group (PSG) has helped many businesses bring complex publishing projects to life with innovative, high-impact solutions on time, on budget and always of exceedingly high quality. We blend high-caliber resources with deep subject matter expertise and focus together with effective solutions and services to help conceptualize, design and develop content that will provide you and your audience with the perfect outcome.

What do we do?PSG provides a broad range of services and solutions such as Editorial, Design, Production, Translation and Localization, Assessment, Interactive and Digital, Audio Casting and Production and Project Management to support our clients develop highly engaging content. Publishing Solutions Group… ‘Solutions’ is our middle name.